Morocco is exotic

Morocco is exotic. Everything from the unfamiliar sounds and intriguing smells, the unforgettable mystique of the huge golden dunes of the Sahara desert and the grandeur of the Atlas mountains will leave you speechless.
You will feel like you have stepped back in time, to a place where age-old traditions are practiced as they have been for hundreds of years. Moroccans are some of the friendliest and most hospitable people around, and you will most likely feel as though you are just part of one big extended family.


riding a camel out into the Sahara Desert and sleeping under a million stars
hiking up into the Atlas Mountains and staying in a mud village with a berber family
exploring the souqs (markets) of Fès and Marrakech, haggling for beautiful handmade treasures!
watching everyday Moroccan life, drinking mint tea with the locals and learning about Moroccan culture
having a hammam (traditional bath), getting your hands hennaed in a traditional design by local woman
Todra Gorge, the palmeries, the Kasbahs, the ever-changing landscapes . . .
Marrakech - the Big Square: fascinating street performers, exotic smells of spices and incense, sounds of snake charmers and belly-dancers, and an exhilarating and vibrant atmosphere
Fès: a medieval city with a labyrinth of intriguing alleyways full of artisans crafting beautiful wares
Enquire here now for the trip of a lifetime!



This is arrival day - you will be picked up from the airport and taken to the hotel to recover from your flight.

You have a free afternoon to go for a stroll along the Casablanca waterfront, drink coffee on the esplanade or relax by the pool at the hotel.

Dinner together and trip briefing.

Day 2, Casablanca

This morning we visit the Hassan II mosque, the third largest mosque in the world, built to commemorate the former Kings 60th birthday. It is an impressive sight, with beautiful turquoise tile work and a retractable roof - it can hold 25,000 worshippers. We take a guided tour to learn more about Islam, which is a good introduction to the start of your trip. Lunch at a lovely local seaside restaurant. In the afternoon we go on a 4 hour city tour of Casablanca. Our local guide will give you a fascinating insight into Moroccan/Muslim life - everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask! Dinner tonight in a beautiful, traditional Moroccan restaurant.

Day 3, Casablanca to Fès

Today we head for the fascinating imperial city of Fès. Casablanca might be your first impression of Morocco, but don't be fooled, it is a stark contrast to what you are about to experience in the medieval city of Fès, a UNESCO World Heritage site. We try to get to Fès in time for a short walk in the maze-like alleyways of the souq, and to watch the sun set from a fantastic vantage point over this amazing old city.


Day 4, Fès

Today we take a fascinating guided tour of the Fès medina, visiting the tanneries, Fès potters, and other artisans.

We then take a walk through the souq (market), a maze of narrow alleyways crammed with shops selling all sorts of treasures. Fès is an interesting and exciting place - the souq bulges with beautiful handmade crafts (copper and brass stained glass lamps, carpets, colourful spices, leather bags…).

Make sure you have room in your bag for some of the great stuff you can buy here! Haggling is all part of the fun and games to get the price down too. There is time to shop along the way, because let's face it, you won't be able to resist it!

Day 5, Fès to Merzouga

After breakfast we set off for the Sahara desert, stopping along the way in Ifrane, a "Swiss-style" town built by the French in the 30s.

We pass through the dramatic Ziz Valley, and the landscape changes several times till we finally reach the edge of the Sahara. Here we stay the night in a beautiful Kasbah-style hotel made of mud, with a backdrop of huge golden dunes.

All around us is desert, and tonight you will experience a Saharan sunset and a starry African sky.

Day 6, Merzouga, Sahara Desert

This morning we have a leisurely breakfast on the edge of the Sahara desert. The pace of life is slower out here under the hot sun, and somehow the nothingness is mesmerizing. Out in the desert you feel a million miles from anywhere.

After breakfast we go to a desert village and hear some traditional music by the group Pigeons Du Sable. We then go to Maison Tuareg to learn about carpets and Tuareg artifacts, and to get turbans for our night out in the desert.

In the late afternoon, with the sun setting in the distance, we mount our camels and ride for a couple of hours out into a desert camp amongst the dunes. Our guide will prepare us a tasty tajine, and then we sleep on mattresses under a million stars. Exotic dreams are sure to be had!


Day 7, Sahara Desert to Dades Gorge

The sunrise will gently wake you - those that are keen can climb the high dune next to our camp to watch the sun rise over the endless sands. Local Berber children of the desert will come by with handmade trinkets for sale. We then get on the camels for the ride back to our mud hotel, where a hearty breakfast and showers wait for us. Next stop is Boumalne, around 4 hours drive away and gateway to the Dades Gorge. Unwind by the pool in the late afternoon as you will need energy for the excitement of the coming days.

Day 8, Dades Gorge to Ait Benhaddou

We leave our lovely hotel and take a drive through the spectacular Dades gorge, full of incredible rock formations in beautiful coloured sandstone. Our journey then takes us through the Vallee des Roses, where exotic products are made from the Damascus Rose. Maybe you still have some room in your bag for some rose water, rose oil, or some beautiful handcreams etc. We stop at Ouarzazate, (Morocco's answer to Hollywood) , where Gladiator and the Mummy, amongst others, were filmed, for lunch, perhaps in a local friends home if she is available!

We then drive on to Ait Benhaddou, one of the oldest and best preserved Kasbahs in Morocco. A Kasbah is an old mud-walled castle, with beautifully decorated mud turrets. This particular one is a UNESCO World Heritage site - our hotel tonight has a fine view of the old Kasbah, but there is also time to stroll around it and discover it's secrets.




It is a longish but very scenic mountainous drive to Marrakech, with photo and sightseeing stops along the way.

Once in Marrakech we visit the souq to buy scrubbing gloves and Moroccan soap "savon noir" for our hammam after the hike. This evening we eat together at Jamaa El Fna, otherwise known as the Big Square, amongst all the buskers and overwhelming atmosphere.

Marrakech is a vibrant city where east meets west - from the traditional old souq in the medina (old town) to the modern shops and French patisseries, you will find this place fascinating.

Jamaa El Fna is a hive of live street entertainment every evening - there are belly dancers, acrobats, storytellers, musicians and much more to keep you amused for hours.



We leave Marrakech bright and early and head up to Ourika gorge, stopping for breakfast along the way. It is a stunning drive, leaving the flat, red desert behind and entering the lush, green Atlas Mountains.

Our guides load donkeys with our overnight bags and off we go on our hike. We take our time on the hike, stopping along the way for photos and a lunch break. Tonight is a real cultural experience as we stay with a Berber family in their home up in the mountains.

This is guaranteed to be one of the many highlights of this trip as you get to see how a Berber family survives up in the mountains using age-old traditions. Conditions are rustic as we live like the locals for a night.


The next day we hike back down the valley to Setti Fatma, have lunch and head back to Marrakech. In the afternoon we head into town for a "hammam" - this is a traditional communal bath house, where using natural locally made products (olive oil soap etc) we are scrubbed till we are squeaky clean by one of the bathhouse attendants - guaranteed to come out feeling like a new born baby!


Today is your free day to do as you please - trawl the souq for exotic goodies, spend a few hours watching the buskers (snake charmers, musicians etc), take a horse and carriage ride, get a henna tattoo ... whatever you feel like!


Today we drive out to the coast, to spend some time in the white-washed town of Essaouira. Essaouira has a special, laid-back feeling and you will enjoy some time out here. After a short orientation you are free to browse around the market, visit the port, watch the world pass by in a chic café or stroll on the beach.

Eat lunch wherever you like, but we recommend a delicious fish meal at one of the fish restaurants.

Alternatively, you can spend the day in Marrakech and take part in a Moroccan cooking class. Learn how to cook delicious Moroccan food with local women! This is an optional extra and depends on space availability in the class, and must be booked when booking your Morocco trip.



Our wonderful Morocco trip finishes after breakfast. Catch a flight home from Marrakech or get a connecting flight to Casablanca and then onwards home.

Another option is also to take the 4 hour train ride from Marrakech to Casablanca, stay the night and fly out the following day from Casa - we can help you with these arrangements.




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Morocco: Only in Morocco

Morocco: Only in Morocco

Culture of morocco tells us about the ethics and civilization followed by the people. Moroccan cultural tours says about the people, their behavior, tradition followed and many other concept which is considered as most important and essential as well as most required for the people. These cultural tours comes up with wide thoughts followed, it may beliefs, set of behavior to be followed by the people, festival and their religion. Culture of morocco comprises of wide and detailed history of the people and their tradition. Morocco tours and holidays enable the people to know more about the morocco culture tours. Art and culture in morocco is excellent and it beautifully tells the people regarding the social structure of morocco. Morocco cultural tours specify the ethics, civilization, religion, diversification and all their specifications. The cultural language of morocco is entirely different and it distinguishes itself from other languages.

Morocco culture comes up with Berber tents and camel trek and morocco women are more civilized and they are customized. Fes guesthouse, morocco climate, morocco women, morocco food, morocco education and lot more says about the cultural tours in morocco. Morocco culture offers a pleasant, traditionalized, customized and relaxed culture to the people and it make the Moroccan to be enjoyed with the cultural civilization. The mixture of the French language and the Islamic religion make Morocco a unique destination for us. It is important for travelers to learn as much as possible in advance so that we can travel respecting these differences and minimizing any negative impacts.

Modest dress and a few words in local language are the keys to unlocking the doors of local interaction in Morocco. A respect and understanding of the differences between yourself and the other citizens of the world will make for beneficial interaction for all parties. In particular your visit to the small village Imlil in the High Atlas Mountains and the experience of camping in the Sahara with the Berber people gives you the opportunity to share the best of yourself and receive the best the locals of these environs have to offer. This will be a life time experience for you.

Trekking in the Atlas Mountains will surely make for an incredible holiday. The tiny villages perched on the sides of the mountain, the warmth and hospitality of the Berber people and the spectacular views over there all add up to an amazing Atlas Mountain holiday. Marrakech or Marrakech, known as the "Red City" or "Al Hamra," is a famous city with a population of 1,036,500 in southwestern Morocco, near the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. After Casablanca, Marrakesh is the second largest city in Morocco and was known to early travelers as "Morocco City." Prior to the advent of the Almoravids in the 11th century, this area was ruled from the city of Aghmat.

Marrakech has the largest traditional market in Morocco and also has the busiest square in the entire continent of Africa, which is called Djemaa el Fna. The square bustles with acrobats, story-tellers, dancers, water sellers and musicians by day; and food stalls by night, becoming a huge open-air restaurant.

Like many North African and Middle Eastern cities, Marrakech is comprised of both old fortified city the medina and an adjacent modern city called Gueliz. It is served by Menara International Airport and a rail link to Casablanca and the north.
Standing on the side of a road in this placid capital may not be what most people would consider the ideal place to eat boiled snails. Diners inclined to try escargots may think of it as a dish best prepared by an expert chef and reserved for special occasions, like a visit to a French restaurant. In Morocco, snails are street food and have been for a very long time.

In Rabat and elsewhere in Morocco, escargots  (boubouch or b'bouch) are served at roadside stalls and in the souks. The snails on offer are low in fat and high in protein and magnesium, similar to those found in Spain or in the south of France, but the preparation and presentation is not what you willfind at a French bistro where a garlic butter sauce is the norm.

Here the snails are simmered in a broth seasoned with aniseed, licorice root, thyme, sweet and spicy pepper, mint, bitter orange peel, and crushed gum arabic, an ingredient taken from acacia trees. When the stewed molluscs are ready, they are scooped out of the pot by the roadside vendor with a large wooden ladle.

One Moroccan entrepreneur, Mohamed Alaoui Abdallaoui, has launched an upscale version of this cherished snack for those queasy about buying escargots from roadside vendors, where they may feel cleanliness is an issue. His specially designed truck tours Rabat's trendier neighbourhoods and delivers the spicy simmered snails to clients right at their front door.

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Discover Morocco

Morocco: Culture


Moroccan Culture 101

Culture Shock! Morocco by Orin Hargraves (available on Amazon). This book is a basic overview of Moroccan culture at a very practical level. It relates more to traditional Moroccan customs than modern youth culture.
A Deeper Look

Humor and Moroccan Culture by Matthew Helmke (available on Amazon). This book started as the author tried to learn Moroccan Arabic. When he didn't understand a joke during one of his language sessions, although he knew all the vocabulary, it sent him on a quest to understand Moroccan life and thought more. This book is the fruit of that journey.
We Share Walls: Language, Land, and Gender in Berber Morocco by Katherine E. Hoffman (available on Amazon). An examination of Berber men and women's use of language to shape their belonging in Moroccan society.
Moroccan Folktales by Jilali El Koudia (available on Amazon). A collection of narratives from various regions within in Morocco and includes an introduction to Arab folktales, and a bibliography of Moroccan folktale collections.

Lords of the Atlas: The Rise and Fall of the House of Glaoua by Gavin Maxwell. This narrative recounts the customs and rituals of daily life in pre-independence Morocco while recounting the story of El Hadj T'hani El Glaoui, the tribal warlord who helped the French rule Morocco.
Traditional Moroccan Cooking: Recipes from Fez by Guinaudeau, Laurent, and Harris. A collection of traditional recipes from Fez, Morocco.
Year of the Elephant: A Moroccan Journey Toward Independence by Leila Abouzeid. This was the first novel by a Moroccan woman translated into English and recounts the narrative of a woman who is divorced by her modernizing husband. It contrasts the struggles between modern and traditional values in Morocco.
In and Out of Morocco: Smuggling and Migration in a Frontier Boomtown by David Arthur McMurray. This book examines smuggling of goods into the country by Moroccans living abroad and how the influx of these Moroccans every summer effect the ideas and values of the community.
Morocco: Globalization and Its Consequences by Cohen and Jaidi. The book examines the development of Morocco within the Islamic world of North Africa. It examines Morocco based on the effects of globablization and how that contrasts with Algeria, Libya and Tunisia.
Morocco: The Islamist Awakening and Other Challenges by Marvine Howe. An account of the early days of independence in Morocco.

The Mellah of Marrakesh: Jewish and Muslim Space in Morocco's Red City by Emily Gottreich. This book examines the patterns of how Jews and Muslims as well as other expats interacted in Marrakesh.
Knowledge and Power in Morocco by Dale F. Eickelman. The book examines Islamic education and its role in Morocco from Independence to the Present.

Vibrant, diverse Morocco is known for its Atlantic and Mediterranean beaches, high mountains, Sahara Desert, imperial cities, and open-air souks. Its history and culture reflect the influence of a long succession of invaders and settlers—including the Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, French, Spanish, and Arabs—as well as the presence of the Berbers, Morocco’s indigenous people, who make up half of the nation’s population. Morocco: Culture and Society Moroccan society is a fascinating melting pot of different cultures: Berber, Arab, Jewish, Muslim, African and European. The late Hassan II, king of Morocco, compared the country to a tree with its roots spreading deep into the heart of Africa, its trunk solidly set in the Arabo-Islamic world, and its branches reaching beyond Spain, Portugal and France to the heart of Europe. Morocco is changing rapidly as a result of modernization and democratization efforts; yet its diverse cultures are deeply anchored in age-old traditions that stress community life, baraka (sacred blessing), fate, family, and honor, all of which are values that Moroccans cherish and are always ready to share. Historically, the Moroccan empire was a major player in world politics and the legendary cities of Fes, Marrakech and Essaouira, along with their monuments, are a standing witness of that historical role. Morocco is also a symphony of different forms of music and dance that make it one of the most "musical" countries in the world. The fine cuisine, the rich biodiversity, the hospitality, the vibrant civil society, the active elite, the diverse geography, the religious and ethnic tolerance, the Andalusian heritage, the varied economy and the longest Monarchy in the world-all of these make of it an interesting case that is worth studying closely.


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